MIDI Question: DT, Faderfox, Blofeld

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

Hi! I would like to have the following setup and would love to get some help as i always get big knots in my brain thinking about Midi.

  • Faderfox PC4 Midi goes into DT
  • DT Midi out has to go into Faderfox so i dont get value jumps (if i understood that right)
  • DT midi goes to synths for sequencing
  • FF Midi signal goes to synths

Would the following setup work?

  • FF Out->DT In
  • DT Out->Midi Merger (suggestions for a portable & cheap one?)
  • DT Thru->Midi Merger
  • Midi Merger->FF
  • Midi Merger->Blofeld etc

Ideally i would also like to include my Korg SV1, as a Midi Keyboard, but i don’t see how as it only has Midi Out, not Thru… Hints much appreciated!

#2

How about if you enable midi routing in PC4: MIDI IN to MIDI OUT and then set:

  • DT OUT to PC4 IN
  • PC4 OUT to DT IN
  • DT THRU to Blofeld IN

Or just get yourself a Blokas Midihub and call it a day.

1 Like
#3

Very strongly recommend getting a Blokas Midihub. Will save you so much time and headaches as well as giving a bunch of extra functionality you can grow into if necessary.

#4

Thank you! Will look into the Blokas. Also i found the retrokits rk-006, which i could buy directly from Schneidersladen, does anyone have experience with it?

#5

While waiting for my Blokas i tried what you suggested. [edit: previously had another problem that was solved. New problem inserted]
I still get a value jump every time. Does someone know why?

DT Midi Out-FF Midi In/FF Midi Out-DT Midi in. My settings are:

FF:
Midi->Midi
Pot Snap Mode

DT:
Clock, Transport and Prog.Ch. Send active, Receive inactive

Out port func:Midi
Thru port: Midi
Input from:Midi
Output to: Midi
Output Ch: Auto
Param. out: Cc
Encoder etc. Destinations are set to internal
Receive Notes: yes
Receive cc: yes

I got track 1 on Channel 8
All other channels are turned off
Except for prog channel i/o: Auto

#6

My midihub arrived (and its great!!) but i can’t eliminate those parameter jumps. Dt midi out goes to ff midi in and ff midi out to dt midi in. I can use the Faderfox as planned, but the snap-function just doesn’t work… can anyone help here?

1 Like
#7

Does the fader fox have options for catch ( where the parameter isn’t adjusted until it gets to the current value) or relative ( where the parameter is adjusted accordingly based on where the faders are)?

#8

If I understand this correctly there is no midi command on the Digitakt that allows the digitakt to send its pot values to faderfox. This in contrary to the Octatrack. That is at least what I understood when contemplating what midi controller to get. If this is correct you would expect parameter jumps every time you switch patterns on the Digitakt.
What you can at least try to check is to set encoder destinations to external. This way the encoders will transmit midi data to the midi out to the faderfox. And hopefully they also send a signal when changing banks.
If this does not work, you could try tis workaround which might work in theory: set enc to external as well. And for every parameter you expect a value jump, you first use the pot on the digitakt instead of the faderfox. The digital should send out the new pot cc value and hence the faderfox would register the new value. Then you should be able to change the same cc destination on the Faderfox to the Digitakt without causing jumps.
It’s not ideal, but maybe is helpful In some situations if it works. In essence, this way, you manually update the cc value for each pot

2 Likes
#9

Oh wow, encoders to external it was! Hero of the day, thank you :slight_smile:

#10

That’s good to know. And does this also prevent parameter jumps when you switch patterns? I appreciate if you can share this information, as that would be a tipping point in my own decision process regarding which external controller to buy

#11

Damn, sadly no. Behaviour is for example:

I change the play mode of a track via Faderfox

I change the pattern - everything is fine, the play mode is as saved

I move the Pot on the Faderfox- Value jumps

But as soon as i touch the DT-Encoder Faderfox knows again where we are and works in snap-mode.

I now will try if that works for me, because i definetely don’t want less knobs :smiley:

#12

That was why I was afraid off.
Maybe it is interesting to map the faderfox to the effects and set them to be global. I expect that this would work as the settings for an effect won’t change this way when changing patterns. Then at least you have that duty mapped to the faderfox and you can use the digitakt internally to control the rest of the parameters you want to effect.
The other things is to change the digit to the octatrack, as the octa allows you to send a midi cc from the faderfox which will make the octatrack send all of is pot values to ext out. Then you have no parameter jumps.
Looking into this I realised the Digitakt is a device perfect for controlling midi on other gear. However, less ideal the other way around in the situation you just encountered.
Another work around would be a workflow where you build a song by copying patterns. And you use the first trig of every pattern and P-lock the knob values where you want them. These midi cc’s will be sent out so the faderfox will adjust.
Then copy this pattern again and remove the trigless trigg. The settings will stay the same, the faderfox is updated and you will not have the annoying effect that the P-locked trigg will reset your parameter adjustments you did manually on the Faderfox.
(If you would not copy the pattern and remove the trigg the trig would reset any cc changes back to the P-locked values).
Then arrange it all in song mode where the P-locked pattern would play one full time and changing into the not P-locked version of the pattern so you can twist the knobs.
Good luck and have fun experimenting. If you find any good workarounds then please share